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President Tim Jensen and Executive Director William Wisner represented millions of veterans as they joined President Trump at the White House for the signing of an executive order directing federal agencies to fast-track the reclassification of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.
This historic step formally recognizes cannabis’s accepted medical uses and lower potential for abuse—paving the way for expanded research into its therapeutic benefits. For millions of Americans, including countless veterans, this validates what many have long experienced: cannabis can offer meaningful relief from chronic physical pain and invisible wounds like PTSD, anxiety, and sleep disruption—providing a non-pharmaceutical option that many veterans are already using as part of harm reduction and healing.
Inside the veteran healthcare system, the status quo has been clear. Treat symptoms with pills. PTSD, chronic pain, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, and sleep disorders are routinely managed with antidepressants, SSRIs, benzodiazepines, and antipsychotics. Many of these medications are associated with dependency, cognitive impairment, emotional blunting, and increased suicidal ideation. Yet they remain the default because they are familiar, patented, and heavily researched. The system rewards what is known, even when outcomes are poor.
Cannabis challenged that system. Under Schedule I, it was officially labeled as having no medical value, which discouraged research and blocked serious study. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, cannabis cannot be patented in the same way, leaving little incentive for large corporations to fund trials. As a result, veterans were left in a contradiction. State programs expanded. Personal success stories grew. But federally, cannabis remained off limits to meaningful research and policy integration.
Rescheduling to Schedule III changes that foundation. It signals that cannabis has recognized medical potential and a lower risk profile than Schedule I substances. Most importantly, it reduces barriers to research. Scientists can more easily conduct clinical trials. Institutions can pursue funding. Data can be collected, reviewed, and challenged. Evidence can finally replace assumptions.
For the Grunt Style Foundation, this matters because research drives reform. You cannot fix overprescribing without alternatives that are studied, measured, and taken seriously. This change creates the possibility for veterans to access treatment options that may reduce reliance on high risk pharmaceuticals. It allows clinicians to explore whether certain veterans can manage symptoms with fewer side effects and better quality of life.
This is not about promoting cannabis as a cure all. It is about restoring balance. Veterans deserve options. They deserve care models that prioritize outcomes, not convenience. They deserve a system willing to question itself when results are failing.
Rescheduling also carries practical benefits. Schedule III status helps resolve long standing banking and regulatory issues in the cannabis and hemp industries, lowering costs and improving stability. For patients, that can mean safer products, better access, and clearer standards. For communities, it supports legitimate businesses instead of forcing them to operate in legal gray zones.
Still, this is only a first step. Rescheduling does not automatically change VA policy. It does not erase stigma overnight. It does not fix overprescribing by itself. But it removes a major barrier that has blocked progress for decades.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the Trump administration for recognizing Grunt Style Foundation as a leading advocate in the fight for veterans’ access to safe, legal, non-pharmaceutical options. This is a monumental win for veteran healing and wellness. Thank you for listening to our community’s voice. This We’ll Defend.
To learn more about and support Grunt Style Foundation’s efforts to end veteran suicide through advocacy, mental health, and wellness, please visit https://gruntstylefoundation.org
